SXSW Review: Not Your Typical Bigfoot Movie

March 22, 2008
by Ken Evans

US Release Date: SXSW Film Festival 2008
Genre: Documentary
Running Time: 62 minutes
Directed by: Jay Delaney
Not Your Typical Bigfoot Movie on IMDb
3/10

Not Your Typical Bigfoot Movie definitely wasn't a film that was high on my list of movies to see at SXSW. Actually, I wasn't even planning on watching it until I heard people randomly talking about it in line for some of the movies. It turned out that there was a midnight showing, so I thought I would check it out since it wouldn't interfere with seeing something else I really wanted to watch. Unfortunately, there is now 62 minutes of my life completely lost that I wish I could get back.

Not Your Typical Bigfoot Movie follows Dallas Gilbert and Wayne Burton as they research and document the supposed mythical beast called Bigfoot. They live in southern Ohio and try to track the different Bigfoot through the Appalachian forests. Over the years they have gathered what they believe to be numerous pictures of adult and baby Bigfoot. Although this documentary is built around their search for the reclusive creature, it turns out to be more about the relationship that Dallas and Wayne have built over time.

If you are at all interested in getting glimpses into the lives of two hillbillies that reside in a small poverty-ridden town in Ohio, then this is the film for you. I for one thought it might be interesting, but was sadly mistaken. This isn't about professionals that are really trying to find Bigfoot through scientific means. It is about two amateurs running around the forest with a camera and yelling gibberish. If it was the intention of filmmaker Jay Delaney to present these men respectably, then he failed. It reminded me of Trekkies - except instead of being funny it was just plain sad.

This film shows these guys as they really are. It tells you exactly what they believe and you hear it from their own mouths. They have absolutely nothing going on in their lives, so they have latched on to something that gives them purpose, at least that's the way it seems with Wayne. Wayne's relationship with Dallas boarders on needy and made me feel so sorry for him. No one can fault them for enjoying what they do, but I gained absolutely nothing from watching them.

I highly doubt that this will get picked up by anyone. You might possibly see it on DVD at some point, but I wouldn't suggest picking it up. Everyone I saw it with couldn't stand it and wished they hadn't wasted their time either. At least we got to eat another meal at the Alamo Drafthouse! Definitely the least enjoyable film I saw during the whole fest.

Not Your Typical Bigfoot Movie